


Knight In Shining Armor

by Kablautsch



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Dueling, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3773515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kablautsch/pseuds/Kablautsch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A personal take on the duel scene with Josephine's arranged betrothed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knight In Shining Armor

**Author's Note:**

> another short fluffy piece about Josephine c:  
> i rather enjoy these, i hope you do too~

Kalaeth shouldn’t have been happy about Lord Otranto challenging her. She shouldn’t have been so eager to agree to meet him for a duel. But this was it; how she could be with Josephine.

When she had heard “I am betrothed” fall from her beautifully curved lips, she had been close to tears. It had relieved her that the engagement hadn’t been Josephine’s wish, but doubt had slipped past her defenses and she lay awake at night; worrying.

She was a Dalish hunter with the diplomatic integrity of a slobbering dog, she was graceful in battle but nowhere else; she fumbled, tripped and sometimes the words rushed out of her too quickly, too bluntly. She wasn’t a noble and it showed.

Josephine was graceful, elegant; she knew her way with words. Charming, delightful, noble. And even though she had never expressed any disliking towards Kalaeth’s unceremonious attitude, she feared it still bothered her.

When they had kissed, when Josephine had leaned down to softly press her lips against her own, Kalaeth had felt weightless for the first time in years. But they had been interrupted and even though she had told Josephine she was attracted to her, the extents of their relationship were still unclear. The Ambassador’s engagement got in the way of things, as one could imagine.

So here it was; her chance to pursue Josephine in the noble way, the way anyone suited for her would do it, like Lord Otranto. Kalaeth got to be Josephine’s knight in shining armor, even just once; even though she knew it was foolish- Josephine was her own knight- and she fought to keep the smile from her face as the Lord she was about to duel introduced himself.

She gulped down the sour taste of jealousy and doubt when he referred to himself as the rightfully betrothed of Lady Josephine Montilyet.

“Songs of your exploits have spread to my city, Inquisitor. It’s humbling to make your acquaintance”, Lord Otranto continued swiftly, carrying a similar accent to Josephine’s.  
She tightened the hold around the rapier at the thought and they began circling each other. Kalaeth let out an unsteady breath, gaining her battle focus. She curled one hand behind her, letting her fist rest lightly on the small of her back and held the rapier out daringly in front of her.

Her footwork spoke of both skill and elegance as she all but pranced across the courtyard, the stone hard under her naked feet. She had still been unprepared for a fight- a rare occurrence- as she was dressed in her old clan clothing, a flowing born skirt that reached just above her knees, thankfully allowing her to move swiftly. Just her thin linen shirt that hung loosely from her shoulders, leaving her bare from navel to skirt was a slight hindrance since it flared around her when she moved; making her a wider target.

She wondered what she might look like to all the curios watchers that had gathered around them; peering at her bared flesh shamelessly. Shems are so uptight… especially Orlesians, she thought to herself as her eyes flickered across the crowd. But with her long, auburn hair flowing in both waves and parts in small braids and the black ink of her vallaslin honoring Dirthamen shimmering in the gentle midday sunlight along with her dark brown skin- she was sure they perceived her as some sort of wild creature; looking almost painfully Dalish.

The Lord opposite her had just said something that implied his impendent victory but Kalaeth was too focused on observing her surroundings to even catch his words ,her hunter instincts kicking in.

Why do nobles feel the need to constantly talk?, Kalaeth wondered silently, as she’d already found 3 openings in his posture. She was about to make her first move when the Lord’s voice made her train of thought come to a skittering halt.

“Before we duel”, he began slowly, “I trust you find the weapon to your satisfaction?”

“Absolutely”, Kalaeth replied, she was sure there was some tradition that obliged them to use a similar weapon.

“Then let us begin”, he announced, twirling his rapier around for show.

When he made the first strike, Kalaeth blocked it easily, a flick of her wrist and a step back and they were circling each other again. The air buzzed with electricity and the Inquisitor could feel her breath exhilarating from excitement alone as she stood straight again.

Next, Otranto slashed forward with two quick hits, both of them easily parried. Kalaeth’s skirt swished slightly as she moved backwards on the tips of her toes, sliding across the dry, hard ground.

“An admirable start, Inquisitor!”

“Do you intend to win by complimenting me?”

Her dark, soft voice filled out the yard for the first time during their duel and she could hear people gasp behind her.

The Lord scoffed and jumped forward again; easily angered, Kalaeth noted as his strikes sent her across the yard avoiding them seemingly effortless. But sweat was starting to run down her back as she quickly turned her upper body to the side, missing his blade by a hair.

Otranto would always advance her, attempting to hit her once or twice before retreating. As if he were still testing the waters and Kalaeth was happy to follow as he was easy to dodge so far.

“I’m glad Lady Montilyet isn’t here, exquisite as I’ve heard her appearance to be”, her opponent stated suddenly, “cutting you down in front of her would have left a bad first impression.”

Kalaeth took his pause- he’d even lowered his blade just slightly- to snap forward. Metal crashed against metal as Otranto parried her strikes and then pressed his blade simply forward, outstretching it. She backed away but he followed with long strides, until they were mere inches apart; sword against sword, staring each other down.

“She will be my bride, after all”, he added.

Kalaeth snarled, baring her teeth as they pushed each other apart again. Both her hands curled into fists and she was about to lash out; anger bubbling up deep in her gut.

“Stop!”

It was Josephine’s voice. Kalaeth’s posture relaxed almost immediately, her sword arm lowering as a look of surprise flitted across her face.

“Josephine?”, she said almost softly upon seeing her push through the gathered crowd.

She was angry.

“Lady Montilyet! What a pleasure to-“, Lord Otranto began, but he was quickly cut off by Josephine.

“What are you doing?”, she spat, coming to a stop in front of the Inquisitor.

Kalaeth suddenly felt guilty, as she fleetingly tried to remember her very appropriate reasons to duel a shemlen lord.

“Josephine”, she said breathlessly, “I can’t take the chance that you might have to marry him!”

“That’s not your decision!”, came the sharp reply.

Josephine shook her head, tearing her gaze away from Kalaeth exasperatedly. She turned, walking a few steps away from the Inquisitor while continuing.

“The Inquisition needs you; I need you! Yet you threw yourself into danger! Why do this? Why risk everything? Why risk your life?”

She had turned back around, looking at Kalaeth expectantly, worry and anger deeply etched into her expression as silence fell for a moment. When Kalaeth spoke again, her voice  
was small, quiet as if uttering a secret.

“Because I love you.”

Josephine paused, a smile pulling at her lips as she looked up at Kalaeth through her lashes, her head slight ducked.

“You… You do?”

“She does?”

Kalaeth had almost forgotten, Lord Otranto was still standing there, watching her confession as long as all the other Orlesians that had gathered.

“Yes Josephine”, she said again, dropping her sword with a clank, her voice as sweet as honey, “I love you so much.”

She stared as Josephine began moving towards her, unshed tears stinging her eyes, partly because her throat felt tied, so heavy was her heart, so full of love she felt at that moment, getting lost in Josephine’s eyes, knitting her brows together because she did- she loved her so much.

There could have been nothing more beautiful in that moment than her voice, the gently accented roll of words flowing out between her lips like a gust of air.

“I love you, too.”

Only then Kalaeth realized she was running towards her, catching her around the waist and lifting her. She weighed nothing in her hands as she spun her around, delicate hands resting on her bare shoulders and she felt her tears starting to spill as a wave of joy rushed down her spine.  
Josephine’s laughter rang through the courtyard and Kalaeth felt lightheaded; it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. Josephine’s eyes were so bright, almost twinkling, and her smile was so wide and so warm as Kalaeth set her down again, unwilling to wait any longer to kiss her.

The kiss was different this time. Josephine’s lips were still as soft as she remembered them and she still gave the same small sigh when Kalaeth trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, but the doubt was finally gone. Kalaeth felt joyous laughter bubble up in her throat and she broke the kiss, tugging Josephine even closer instead, wrapping her arms fully around her.

They broke apart when Lord Otranto cleared his throat beside them.

“The Otrantos regretfully withdraw the terms of our betrothal. I am not fool enough to stand against true affection”, he said with an amused smile on his lips.

“Thank you!” Josephine almost sighed out the words, breath leaving her throat alongside them.

“Do not thank me, I know when I’m outmatched”, he replied.

And with that he took his leave. Kalaeth couldn’t stop the grin that threatened to split her face in half as she turned back to face Josephine. Their expression mirrored each other’s as they simply regarded each other for a while, hearts seemingly swelling in size.

“I’m sorry about the duel”, Kalaeth offered after a while, guilt inching back into her.

Josephine’s laugh washed over her like a fresh breeze against her skin, still sweating from fighting and nerves.

“I forgive you”, she said”, just do kiss me again.”

Kalaeth broke out into another grin as she pulled Josephine against her chest again. Their lips crashed, teeth clacking against each other in frenzy, as they melted against each other. The Inquisitor was on her tip toes, her arms tightly wound around Josephine’s neck, pulling her downwards. Josephine’s hands rested against her bare waist almost shyly and Kalaeth smiled against her lips when one of Josephine’s feet lifted in bliss.

She only pulled away to whisper “I love you” against Josephine’s skin over and over, her laughter echoing carelessly across the courtyard.


End file.
